


Terror of Tunnels

by LifeLover



Category: The Great Escape (1963)
Genre: Claustrophobia, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Panic Attacks, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 19:04:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11607024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeLover/pseuds/LifeLover
Summary: Based off the Great Escape movie 1963 . 2 chapters - one from Willie's POV, onefrom Danny's POV during two points in the movie that involve tunnels. SLASH.Willie/Danny.





	1. Willie

**Author's Note:**

> I did invent OCs for my full-on fanfic of this, but this will be a two chapter small fic. This first chapter will be from Willie's perspective as the tunnel collapses on top of him, while he's digging. I don't remember if this occurred before or after Ives tried to escape on July 4th, but I'm putting it after. I don't own anything. Old fic from my Fanfiction.net account.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He digs and digs. The small space leaves little room to maneuver the shovel, yet he digs. As he rests for a second, he hears a rumbling. Willie is quickly able to cover his head when dirt covers him, and his already limited supply of air is cut off. Dirt envelopes him, the soil entering his mouth and blinding his eyes, the loam choking his breath and stopping his nostrils. As Willie struggles to breathe, despair takes him. He won't escape the camp with the Big X and everyone, he won't even escape this tunnel before he'll die under the earth, never to be free. His body will be dug out and buried with Ives, one more casualty of the war.

Suddenly, he can understand why Roger is so fierce in this mission, why Virgil tried to escape so many times, why Eric tries so hard to be useful. Even more, especially, why Danny fears these tunnels. Why Danny wakes up frequently at nights, gasping for air, terror on his face. Why Danny only calms down once Willie talks to him softly, assures him he's not in the tunnel, he's above ground, and can breathe. In a selfish way, Willie likes talking to Danny. Danny will hear out his fears, will let Willie talk away what wakes Danny at night. He will lean on Willie as he calms down, and Willie will hold him, gently, reassuringly, stroking his back until Danny's tremors cease and they just hold each other in silence. He realizes – somewhere along the way, from their times together, he's fallen in love with Danny. In love with his gentleness, the solid strength of his body, his slow way of smiling when he looks at Willie. And suddenly, Willie panics, recognizing if he dies, he will never see Danny again. Never soothe him, never be there for him. Danny will be all alone.

As he struggles, he feels a warm hand close around his ankle and pull him out, out into the space of the tunnel. Willie spits out dirt and breathes in the stale tunnel air, which feels like champagne. His eyes clear and he looks up to see Danny, with panic on his face, his strong arms encompassing Willie's chest, solid and powerful. And then they're hurtling backward and then they're in the small intermediary room, where Willie falls back into Roger's arms. Danny explains, worry making his words sharp. Roger tells Willie to go up and wash off and Willie nods, still breathless. Danny follows him and helps him wash off in the showers. His hands are callused, yet tender in their strokes and Willie shivers as Danny's hands trail along his body, taking out the dirt. Danny turns him around and looks at him, a question in his brown eyes. Willie answers by hugging him, both of them warming each other with the warmth of their bare skin. He had saved him. Danny had saved him.


	2. Danny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter of my Great Escape fanfic. This one's from Danny's perspective during the escape. The moment is when the camp is under an air raid and the lights are cut off, causing the prisoners to cut off the tunnel lights. Poor Danny is in the tunnel in the dark.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny's moving along the small tunnel on the cart when suddenly the cart stops. As he looks around, puzzled, the lights suddenly go out.

It's dark. Pitch Dark.

Danny can't even see his hands. He knows something's wrong. He can feel the tunnel closing in on him, taste the dirt that will fill his mouth, crush him to death, choking him. He panics, sensing his terror creeping up on him, is aware of his insanity breaking through the cage his mind had built to contain it. And Willie wasn't there to help him.

Willie. Even from when they first met, Danny had been enraptured by him. He'd ended up being best friends with Willie, and they were always bunkmates. Willie had saved him so many times. Whenever he'd had his nightmares of dying in the tunnels, waking in a cold sweat, trembling, Willie would be there. His soulful blue eyes would gaze at Danny, comforting him. He would hold Danny until his heart had stopped racing and Danny would relax into the oddly comfortable warmth of Willie's slender body. He'd fallen in love with Willie and Willie was always there.

He'd almost gone wire-happy this time. He remembered that night. He had raced toward the wire, intent on getting out, on not going back into the tunnels. He'd still taken care, instinctively, not to be caught by the searchlight. Willie had raced after him, calling to him. His insanity had run rampant and he'd fought against Willie, against his own precious Willie, before Willie had saved him yet again. Willie had accidentally pushed his hips against Danny's and Danny had snarled "Don't do that!" at him. But it had cleared his head a little. And then his name had floated out of Willie's lips, and Danny had heard the panic and fear of his doing something stupid in the tone of Willie's voice. The only reason he'd agreed to come tonight was because Willie had promised to be with him. Even earlier that night, he'd panicked again, and Willie had brought him up and talked him through until he'd been able to go back down. But now he was all alone.

And suddenly – he felt slender arms around him holding him steady and a lean body pressed against his shaking muscles. And then he heard the soft, familiar voice again. "Danny." Willie was there and Danny could feel the vibrations of his voice as he spoke, coaxing sanity back to Danny, locking the terror back in his cage. Danny's shudders ceased and his arms slipped around Willie, holding onto him as a focal point of safety. He buried his face in Willie's blonde locks for a moment before allowing Willie to go ahead on the cart. Not minding sitting in the tunnel for a few more moments alone, because Willie would be there when he came out. Willie would always be there for him. They'd always stay together.


End file.
